Merrigans get OK for bed and breakfast

GREENFIELD — The three Merrigan siblings who plan to open a bed and breakfast in the house they grew up in on Congress Street have gotten the go-ahead from the town.

The Zoning Board of Appeals has approved the project, so Marguerite “Meg” Merrigan, James Merrigan, a lawyer practicing in the eastern part of the state, and Register of Probate John Merrigan and his wife, Martina, said they will begin work to turn the family home into a three-suite bed and breakfast, which Martina will run.

“The entire family is excited about it,” said Meg Merrigan.

That was evident at the board’s meeting as about 10 members of the politically active Merrigan family attended in support of their siblings.

The board read several letters of support, including one from the owners of Hope and Olive restaurant, who said they will send their patrons there, and three Congress Street neighbors, who said they’ll be happy to see a bed and breakfast in their neighborhood.

Donna Mollard, owner of The House On The Hill bed and breakfast on Leyden Road said she doesn’t have enough room for the people who call for a place each week, so she will be sending them to the Merrigans’ bed and breakfast.

“The town doesn’t have enough lodging,” said Mollard. “We’d be fortunate to have another bed and breakfast here.”

The home was owned by their parents, Thomas and Marguerite Merrigan, until their deaths — their mother died in 2008 and their father died last August. They bought it in 1963, when it was a three-family home and promptly converted it to a one-family.

Meg Merrigan said the siblings toyed with the idea of turning it into a two-family, but wanted to bring it back to life and be a part of that life.

The siblings said there will be three two-room suites and a large, shared kitchenette. They also plan to remove a small deck and replace it with a larger, enclosed porch.

The Merrigans hope to open by fall.

The house, which sits on 0.38 acres and is 16,533 square feet, is assessed by the town at $256,800. There are currently five bedrooms, three baths and one fireplace, as well as an unattached garage. They said there is plenty of parking to the back of the house, so on-street parking won’t be a problem for neighbors.